Re:Ask HN: What kind of setup do you run for your children?
by briangray on Tuesday January 06, 2026 @04:02PM
(#46518689)
I have a good amount of experience with this and wrote up a very long recommendation. Many of the parents I've worked with have different reasons for introducing their kids to tech. Without knowing your 'why', I thought I'd just post the bullet points.
- Set up a mini PC/Raspberry Pi. Use a simple Linux distro or older version of Windows and install GCompri on it. No need for internet. Show them how to open notepad, paint, and just let them play.
- At a later age, build a PC with them. Linux Mint gives all the basic software needed. Let them continue to explore.
- Set up some tools for access control and monitoring. Then talk to them about the internet and slowly introduce them to it.
Overall, this has been a fantastic way to introduce technology, its benefits and downsides, without giving in to the firehose of the modern internet or strictly blocking it out entirely.
- Set up a mini PC/Raspberry Pi. Use a simple Linux distro or older version of Windows and install GCompri on it. No need for internet. Show them how to open notepad, paint, and just let them play.
- At a later age, build a PC with them. Linux Mint gives all the basic software needed. Let them continue to explore.
- Set up some tools for access control and monitoring. Then talk to them about the internet and slowly introduce them to it.
Overall, this has been a fantastic way to introduce technology, its benefits and downsides, without giving in to the firehose of the modern internet or strictly blocking it out entirely.